Deciding to live simply

In a world of superlatives and "always more", some people try to go against the tide. How about a simpler life? What if we stopped burdening ourselves with both the material and the spiritual? While this may seem easier said than done, some people are finding the courage to take the plunge. This ARTE report looks at 5 artists for whom simplicity has become the driving force in their lives.

It can start with action. For example, a Japanese visual artist now based in Halle, Germany, has decided to express himself solely through line. Straight, black, thin; he doesn't seek to place it systematically in a search for meaning or to affix philosophical titles to it. A couple of jazz musicians have moved from highly orchestral pieces to minimalist tracks to focus more attention on the lyrics. At the same time, they also adopted a simplistic approach to life, greatly reducing their consumption of everything.

One artist, for his part, moved out of the noise of the city and into a remote rural setting among flocks of sheep, in order to live more simply and more in communion with his environment. A painter, on the other hand, lives her entire life in a small, converted fire engine, where she lives as a nomad to the rhythm of the days and nights. Perhaps being an artist makes this kind of simplicity easier. Nonetheless, this portrait might inspire some to rethink their priorities and get rid of the superfluous.

Running time: 30 minutes